Dozens of emergency responders who work within the footprint of Rockwood School District turned out for Rockwood's Crisis Planning Workshop, Wednesday, Sept. 12, in the Administrative Annex. They were joined by Rockwood administrators and parents.

"We could not accomplish our mission without the partnerships we have with first responders," said Knost. "The peace of mind we get from knowing you've got our backs is something we greatly appreciate. We need to keep relationships with first responders strong."

Rockwood administrators shared resources and discussed best practices with first responders, to assist them when responding to possible emergencies in Rockwood schools.

Knost debuted his Rockwood Champions video and discussed how the concept fits into school safety.

"We're on a mission to develop Rockwood Champions and make sure it coincides with the tactical things we have in place to ensure student safety," explained Knost. "What is a champion? When children are in school, there should be at least one person who is a ray of light that makes them feel school is a safe haven for them. We've come up with this concept to make sure every child has a champion at school. Now it's become a part of our Rockwood culture. It's posted on bulletin boards. Teachers and students are talking about it. I contend that it is a missing ingredient in all the school tragedies around our country."

John Bergfeld is a Ballwin Police captain.

"This event is an opportunity for us to collaborate with other emergency responders and school officials and talk through what we would do in a crisis, before we find ourselves in one," said Bergfeld.

Bergfeld said the crisis planning workshop is all about communication and collaboration.

"It's an opportunity for us to compare notes and eliminate miscommunication before we're actually in a crisis."